Writer/Blogger

“Serve the Lord with fear,     and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son,     lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,     for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 2:11-12

“You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.”

Luke 7:45

Akiss is the act of  two people putting their lips together as a declaration…

The king of Aram is perplexed. He has come up against an authentic man of God whose name is Elisha. This prophet of God knows exactly where the Aramean army is planning to ambush the army of Israel. Elisha communicates what he knows to the king of Israel who escapes. Aram has now lost the element of surprise.

The enemy realizes that unless Elisha is captured this ‘strategic shell game’ will only…

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her,and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they…

Walking This Broken Road by Faith

credit: http://www.internetmonk.com

In one of my early blog posts at lindakruschke.wordpress.com, I was lamenting that remembering my past made me a little blue, because I had regrets and things have happened to me that were less than wonderful. But I have been reminded that I am who I am because of my history.

A week later I was listening to the CD  Stay by Jeremy Camp in my car alot. One of the…

Poetry of the Broken

Last Saturday I purchased a wonderful find at Powell’s Books (Portland, Oregon’s own homegrown new and used bookstore) – a used book called “Invisible Light: Poems about God” – for only $4.50. And it is in excellent condition.It is a collection of poems by various poets, some well known and some not so well known, as well as a few Psalms and other pieces of poetic scripture. I noticed in the…

I also saw something else here on earth: The fastest runner does not always win the race,     the strongest soldier does not always win the battle, the wisest does not always have food,     the smartest does not always become wealthy,     and the talented one does not always receive praise. Time and chance happen to everyone.

Ecclesiastes 9:11, CEV

I’ll bet that when you got up yhis morning you…

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. “

Matt. 3:8, NIV

“Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives. “  

Matt. 3:8, NCV

When we evaluate change, the Biblical definition is crisp and solid.  It has everything understood in results (or fruit) and less to with my posturing.  Just simple words or emotions aren’t enough when we consider authentic transformation. We…

We Are Mere Servants

7–8 Jesus continued, “After a servant has finished his work in the field or with the livestock, he doesn’t immediately sit down to relax and eat. No, a true servant prepares the food for his master and makes sure his master is served his meal before he sits down to eat his own.9 Does the true servant expect to be thanked for doing what is required of him? 10 So learn this lesson: After doing all…

The Fellowship of the Saints

The fellowship of the saints

The following is Psalm 16:3 in several different versions.  They differ from each other but all express the same fundamental thought.  The variation is refreshing and allows for a stronger development of thought.

 3 As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” (NKJV)  

3As for the saints who are in the earth, They…

I think that most of us in the Church fail to get a real grip on what pastoring is all about. And that is sad and bad. Not only do we stunt our pastors growth, but we cripple ourselves, and flunk some important spiritual lessons.

Three things (there are more, believe me)–

1) Our pastors are sinners. Surprise! They are just like you and me– definitely not superheroes and certainly not always…

i used to wander off until me;  but now I closely follow your word.

Psalm 119:67

My suffering was good for me,or it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.

Psalm 119:71

I know, O Lord, that your regulations are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it.

Psalm 119:75

A holy trifecta.

Abide in His Light

  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46.

  I see a darkness abides across the land born of sin in a broken world where innocence died selfishness allowed to putrefy into chaos Though darkness will come This He has warned us Though darkness will come Abide in the Light Abide in the Light to obliterate the darkness It seems a…

A Benefit of Depression

Thanking God For Pain by Terry Powell, Even when emotional pain is not the direct result of sin, it pays dividends in the war against sin. When I’m extremely depressed and prone to fits of weeping, my heart is obviously softer than usual. And it’s during such times that the Holy Spirit often convicts me of wrong thoughts or behavior patterns. Since I’m already in a dependent state due to…

PREACHING TO YOURSELF ABOUT HOPE by Terry Powell Have you ever “preached to yourself?” I’m referring to the act of fighting negative and unbiblical thought patterns with the Word of God. It’s also called “biblical self-talk,” reminding yourself of truth that counteracts Satan’s lies. In Future Grace, John Piper illustrates how the Psalmist battled despondency by preaching to himself: In Psalm…

The Blessings of a Long Battle, part 4

In thinking about this final installment about how God can bring much good out of our protracted struggle with sin, weakness, or a problem, it dawned on me how important it is to see the Big Picture. In some ways this post reiterates truths in part 2 of this series, but also adds important new dimensions to those truths and explores new territory. When a soldier goes through boot camp, it’s…

The Blessings of a Long Battle, Part 3

From Jonathan Coe’s website at http://www.openheavensblog.com/. Thank you gracious brother! (I’m so glad you are my friend.) As I look over the last two posts on the blessings of a long battle, I’m reminded of what the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians about the importance of not being ignorant concerning the schemes of Satan (II Corinthians 2:11). After reading those posts, I realized a word…